Chocolate Ice Cream and Pink Elephants
by x Eddie-ward Hale x
Summary: First FF story Edward had what he believed was a "crappy" excuse of a life. After finding out his mother is dying of cancer, he moves back to his hometown of Forks to help try to save his mother and find himself a reason to live. M for many reasons.
1. The Call

**55 degrees**.

It's 55 degrees outside, the coldest day in California so far, and I'm sitting on my balcony shirtless with a tub of ice cream in my lap. Not that I can really care. It's the least of my worries. When your life's as fucked up as mine, a little cold weather doesn't really bother you. I moved to California thirteen years ago with my older brother Emmett. Reason for the sudden relocation: Emmett hit on the wrong girl. We're here to avoid death threats. Isn't he smart? I glanced down at the rain slicked road. The sight of the road and gray sky brought back memories of my childhood...

_ We found a nice, dry spot up on the hill not too far from our house. My mother had our baby sister Alice in her lap while Emmett and I tried climbing the tree next to her. We tried to see if we could climb the large pine tree high enough so we'd touch the gray sky. Mother just laughed and shook her head. Rain would drizzle down lightly and we'd run around on the field until we spotted my father's black car gleaming on the road and we'd run over to see him..._

My little reminiscing session was interrupted by the sound of my phone vibrating on the marble countertop in my kitchen. '_Who the fuck could be calling me at three in the morning??' _I thought bitterly. I walked into the large living room of my condo to find my phone playing 'Beethoven's 9th Symphony' as it rang. At that moment, my Siberian Husky, Balthazar, trotted into the kitchen with his tongue lolling out from the side. I picked up the phone cautiously.

"Talk to me." I mumbled half sleepily as I ran my fingers through Balthazar's soft black fur.

"Edward. Get your brooding ass up." Alice's musical voice rang through the speaker loud and clear.

"It's three in the morning. You shouldn't be up."

"Well, I'm up."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my unkempt bronze hair. Alice was short and quite irritating. Who knew such a small person could annoy someone **SO** much?

"Alice, what is it?"

There was a pause. Nothing but an eerie silence.

Whatever she wanted to tell me was not good. At all. I frowned and cleared my throat.

"Alice."

"Hmm?"

"What's wrong?"

She cleared her throat and spoke very softly, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Edward... It's Mom.. She's umm.. She's dying."

I dropped the phone and stood there, completely paralyzed. I never heard the phone clatter to the ground. Never heard Balthazar's frantic barks. I stood stone still.

"_She's dying..."_


	2. Rain and Pine

I felt dizzy as I packed my bags. My mother couldn't die. She was the sweetest woman ever. Everyone loved her. When I was younger, she was my hero. Then I "got a life" as Alice called it, and completely left her behind. I felt my stomach twist uncomfortably...

Balthazar trotted into my room, his dark fur glistening from the rain. He tilted his head to the side and stared at me. Balthy was given to me by Emmett on my fifteenth birthday, before I left home and got a place of my own. Although he was a dog, Balthazar had the same mossy green eyes I had.

My mother's eyes....

* * *

"Attention all passengers, Flight 87 to Forks, Washingston is landing.."

I awakened to the sound of seatbelts clicking. The flight attendants were moving around quietly with the speed of trained ninjas. I yawned and stretched, making sure none of my muscles were stiff. There was no morning sunlight shining through the windows in the plane. Only a gloomy, eerie sky. I felt myself shiver slightly. I had no idea why. The plane landed about fifteen minutes after I woke up, and everyone got off as quick as they could.

I finally gathered my bags and trudged sullenly towards the lobby, when a certain pixie-cut, short head of hair captured my attention. It was Alice, here to pick me up like a mommy picks up their toddler from preschool. I knew Emmett was standing next to her because he was tall and he always wore baseball caps like the Seattle Mariners one he wore today. I walked over to them and smiled.

"**EDDIE**!" Emmett yelled in a booming voice. He always was a little too loud...

"Jesus Christ, Emm. I'm right fucking here." I mumbled sleepily.

He grinned at me and gave me a massive bear hug. I could've sworn I heard a muscle or two break. After a minute, he released me and i turned to my little Tinker Bell of a sister. She gave me one of her dainty hugs and looked me up and down before scowling. I chuckled.

"What, Ali?"

"Edward, what on Earth are you wearing? That flannel of yours smells like you found it on the street."

"I love this shirt, though." I laughed, running my fingers through my hair.

"Ugh." She waved dismissively and started walking towards where Emm's army green Jeep was parked. I walked slowly alongside my brother, hearing him drone on and on about his football scholarship, his new girlfriend Bella, et cetera...

* * *

The drive home was fairly longer than I'd remembered. Emmett made Alica and I explode from laughter after the song "Tik Tok" went off and he sang along. He knew **EVERY** word. The old Cullen house was bigger than I'd remembered, with the south facing glass walls. Emmett parked in the newly built garage, right between Dad's black Mercedes and Mom's silver BMW. I grabbed my bags from the back of the Jeep and headed inside. Not much had changed. My piano was still in the corner of the living room under the stairs, the pictures still in their places. The house smelled of pine and rain. I went upstairs to check my room. Everything was the same everywhere else, too. Then I reached my door and smiled. There was a sign with crude scribblings on it in green crayon that read: "Edward's room. Stay out or die." I touched the paper sign and smiled again. The door opened when I pushed it lightly and I peered inside and grinned.

She had kept everything exactly how I left it. The walls remained stark white, books scattered all over the black leather couch I had. My Cd's were frozen in their shelf against the right wall. I sighed, all the good memories flooding back to me. Just then, I heard a faint, weak cough. I turned to the door and heard it again. It was my mother.

I sighed and stared out the window sullenly before finally heading down the hall to my parents' room.


	3. Bronchitis and Angels

**A/N: This story's doing pretty well, so I'm going to update more often. Already have an idea for an ending... You'll all like it. Thanks for the reviews.**

* * *

I slowly walked over to my mother's room. I hesitated by the door. Did I really want to see the only woman who meant so much to me suffer? Was it worth it? Would she forgive me? I mustered up as much courage as I could and opened the door. I caught my breath and smiled crookedly. She looked frozen in time. Her face had barely a wrinkle, and she still managed to smile happily at me, even in her current state. Everyone said I was definitely my mother's son. I had the same bronze tint in my hair as her, and I was the only one that had her green eyes. I walked over to her and hugged her, never wanting to let go.

"Mom, I missed you so much." I nearly sobbed as I held her. She smiled and stroked my hair. That was her way of telling me everything was okay. Alice had explained that Mom had trouble speaking due to how badly her throat hurt. Said it was Bronchitis or something like that. As I let Mom go, Alice walked in, grinning excitedly. She tried to hide it as she looked at me, but a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

"Hey mom, Rosalie's here." Ali turned to wink at me. _What the_..

Mom just smiled sweetly and nodded. I got up and lead Ali out into the hallway, wondering what was going on. "Alice," I whispered. "Who's Rosalie?"

"Oh. She's just Mom's assistant. Rose's mom works at Forks Hospital with Dad, and when she heard about Mom, she told Rosalie. Now Rose is here 24/7. Helps Mom around the house and stuff." She looked at her nails nonchalantly.

I blinked several times and scoffed quietly. I was about to speak when a heard someone clear their throat. I turned, prepared to yell at Emmett, when I felt my jaw drop slightly. '_So this is Rosalie_..' I thought to myself. She was beautiful... I thought Mom's helper was a little older, and no where near this hot. Her hair was a gorgeous blonde, her lips full and perfect. She was slim and not so tall, but this girl had curves. I found myself absentmindedly licking my lips. Rosalie probably noticed my gawking at her, because she stuttered a bit and looked down at the floor nervously.

"Umm.. Jazz's downstairs, Ali.." She mumbled quietly while she pointed downstairs.

Even her voice was beautiful. Like a thousand bells. Wait... I _knew_ her. Rosalie Hale, the daughter of Richard Hale the wealthy banker, and Lillian Hale the sucessful doctor. She was upper class, and she was proud of it. Her brother Jasper was Alice's boyfriend. I'd met him after seeing one of his band gigs at a bar in New york. He was pretty good vocally, and he knew how to grind an axe. But it was then that I realized Alice had left. There was no one upstairs but Rosalie and I. Mom was asleep.

I was alone with the angel.


	4. Sweet Surprise

Rosalie and I were alone for quite some time. After our odd little encounter in the hallway, we started talking. Alice and Emmett left to the grocery store to buy food. She asked the usual questions. Where'd I work, what was I doing in Forks, things like that. Shortly after, my mother awoke. She smiled at us both and asked us to help her with chores. Then I realized that, as I helped my mother and got her whatever she wanted, that Rosalie was watching me. She'd look at me with a hint of... **something**.. in her eyes. Then I'd turn back around and she'd look elsewhere. I tried not to look at her after that. What was it about this girl that entranced me? How is it that she had me so on edge? My thoughts were interrupted by knocking. I excused myself politely and went to open the door as Emmett barreled in, holding two large beer kegs.

"Move over, Eddie!! Don't want the baby brother to get crushed now!!" He announced loudly, his booming laughter echoing through the danced in, laughing along with Emmett. She was followed in by a girl with chocolate brown hair, and eyes that matched. This was probably Bella, Emmett's girlfriend. The one he'd **NEVER** shut up about. Bella had her hands full of bags, so I took a few.

"Here, let me get that.." I carried most of her bags to the counter.

"Thanks." She mumbled shyly. I grinned at her and extended my arm out.

"I'm Edward. Emm's brother. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Bella." She shook my hand lightly and smiled.

"It's hard to understand how my big caveman of a brother got you." I chuckled.

"I get that a lot... But he's really sweet." Bella blushed and laughed nervously. She was definitely a shy one. The shy ones weren't really my type..

Emmett patted my back and went out to get the grill ready. Bella started acting different. She would smile more, touch my arm while she was laughing... She clearly liked me. Why would she like me?? She had Emmett. I felt awfully confused.

Rosalie came downstairs smiling, until she saw Bella and I talking. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rosalie glare. Just as I was about to look at Alice, I felt a hand grab my face and next thing I knew, I was kissing Rosalie. I heard Alice drop the glass bowl she was holding and gasp loudly.

**HOLY SHIT**.


	5. Phone Calls and Bad Omens

The room fell into a kind of stunned shock.

Rosalie finally broke the kiss and smiled smugly at me before strutting upstairs, hips swaying side to side. I stood there, utterly surprised. Alice just stared at me, and Emmett and Bella were outside talking. It was Jasper who broke the deathly silence. He shook his head and darted upstairs after his sister, calling her name. It took a few seconds for my brain to start up again, and I finally began breathing normally. I remembered that Alice was with me as well. I turned to her, prepared to ask her a storm of questions. Before I could so much as utter a letter, she held up a finger to silence me.

"I don't know what just happened, Edward. I know that's what you were going to ask."

"How did you-"

"I'm a girl, Edward. I know these things." She began cutting up tomatoes, her way of telling me the conversation was over. I glared at my sister and glanced outside slowly. Emmett was grilling more beef patties; Bella stood next to the grill and held a plate full of patties with one arm, an annoyed look on her face. I couldn't help but snort. Bella was trying to hit on me and she's with Emm. I knew something wasn't right with her all along...

My phone rang so loud, I jumped a bit. I glanced at the caller ID quickly and it read "**Dad**." Alice raised an eyebrow and scoffed, then started cutting some lettuce. I stuck my tongue out at her childishly and went out front to answer my phone.

"Hello?"

"Edward, son. Emmett told me you were in town. How's your mother?"

"Hey dad. She's good." I looked over at the mountains, the peaks obscured by fog. "Ali told me about Mom.. I'm only in Forks for a few months." I narrowed my eyes absentmindedly, an old habit I picked up from my father.

He was quiet for about three minutes before sighing exhaustedly. "She worried about you. Every day she hoped to hear from you, son."

"I know, Dad.." I felt myself choke up and tried to fight it. "I feel like shit for never coming over here."

"It's fine, son. You're a grown man. You have a life now. We understand. Now I've got to head back. I'll see you at home."

I didn't even get to say bye when he hung up. The phone clicked and I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. _My father was always a busy man_, I reminded myself. I put my phone back in my pants pocket and stared out at the woods. The river was rushing nearby and the trees swayed slightly as if they were dancing. There was a slight breeze that sent the smell of pine and rain around. I glared up at the smoke-like gray sky. It was beginning to look like gray skies were my bad omen; my personal unlucky charm.


	6. Twinkies and Promises

**A/N: Sorry for lack of updates. Been real busy. BUT! I'm working on the next three chaps. and there's a lemon coming up soon, as a way of thanking the reviewers and readers.. ;) **

* * *

As I stood out in the front porch, thinking of Rosalie, I reminisced about the first time I had fallen in love.

I had my first girlfriend when I was seven, in first grade. Seeing as we were children, it wasn't very serious. Her name was Jessica Stanley, and she was the kind of little girl that loved spring pastel colors, Barbies, and wore her hair in pigtails. I can very clearly remember how it happened..

_It was right as school started. Forks was experiencing one of its rare sunny days, and everyone was really excited for recess. Jessica was sitting in a little group with her best friends, Angela Webber and Lauren Mallory. _

_They were giggling and stealing glances at me. I was what people called "weird," because I sat in the back of the class, stared at the window, and more importantly, had "hobo" hair._

_But anyway.. The reason as to why Jessica wanted to be my girlfriend?_

_I had a Twinkie for lunch that day._

_She LOVED Twinkies, and she wanted mine. So she strolled up to my table, kissed me on the cheek, and said loudly: "You're my boyfriend now."_

_Then she grabbed my Twinkie, ate it and went back to her table._

_My little mind was confused, but more importantly.._

_My little heart flipped. I never had a girlfriend; It was all very new to me. So I would sit at her table, get her crayons, etc._

_I liked having a girlfriend._

_Til the day I saw walk up to Mike Newton and kiss him on the lips._

_He had a box full of Twinkies. That day, I made my sister Alice cry by pushing her on the floor. My mother was so angry with me, so I was sent upstairs. I cried myself to sleep that night, and I swore to myself I would never love anyone ever again. But the heart wants what it wants, and I had another girlfriend in college, Leah Clearwater. I thought she was the one. I was even going to propose._

_Then I caught her blowing my roomate, Jacob Black._

_I was expelled for assault, destruction of property and disturbing the peace. If you as me, Black deserved what he got: A black eye and 26 stitches. My little vow was rekindled again._

And yet, years later, I was still amazed at how I had kept that promise for so long. I had a few one night flings, but other than that? Nothing.

Until now.

I didn't even know Rosalie, and I had already fallen in love with her. There was _something_ in the way she kissed me.. It was a little _too_ slow, a little _too_ sweet. I could still vaguely taste her on my tongue.. Roses and strawberries..

'_What the fuck is up with you, Cullen_?' I thought bitterly. '_For all you know, she's using you. Remember Leah??'_

I snorted, running my fingers through my hair. I couldn't break my vow. I wouldn't. And as I walked back towards the house, I knew what I was going to do. What I _had_ to do.

I wasn't going to fall in love with Rosalie Hale. No matter what.

* * *

**Okay! This chapter was a bit longer than the others, I know.**

**Still working on the other chapters. They'll be done soon, I promise!! **

**Edward **_**will**_** fall for Rosalie.**

**"Things must get worse before they get better."**


	7. Hauntings and Eggs

_I want to forget you,_

_I feel completely defeated._

_I want to forget you,_

_Like you never existed._

_Yet you still haunt me out of the blue.._

* * *

She shows up every day, always on time. She walks in the room, all smiles and cheery hellos. She always shows up at exactly three thirty. Alice said she goes to her classes at Seattle University and always heads straight over here right after class. I try not to pay much attention to her. Yet she haunts my mind constantly.

Everything reminds me of _her_.

I've tried to compose a new piece of music, and it ends up being sweet; loving. Emmett invited me to go to the movies with him. And as I sat there, my mind did nothing but compare the lead actress to _her_. Jasper needed another guitarist for one of his gigs at the local bar in Port Angeles, Peaks Brewpub. I decided to help him out. We did pretty well. After about our fifth song, Jasper started playing 'Roslyn' and my mind drifted away.

_It sounds kind of like her name_..

I shake my head, strumming calmly; pushing my thoughts away.

She was haunting me, and..

I didn't know if it was a good or bad thing.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of thunder outside. Turning in my bed, I looked out the window. Sure enough, it's fucking raining. I groaned to myself. Living in California for a few years gets you used to the sun, the heat, and being able to see the sky. Makes places like Forks seem like a fucking depressing place to be.

I sat up, running my fingers through my hair. My shirt lay balled up on the corner of the bed, my phone laid on top of it. The screen read that I had one unread text from Alice. No one ever texted me but her. I got up, and the only sound that could be heard was the light ruffling of my pajama pants. Picking up my phone, I read the message slowly.

**Eddie-**

**Went to Port Angeles w/ Jazz. Doing errands. **

**Emm is w/ Bella all day today. Just you and Mom. Be back later tonight.**

**XOXO, Ali.**

I sighed and scrolled down more. The text was sent at nine twenty-six. I turned and looked at the clock sitting next to the photo of my father and I when I graduated.

It read three thirty.

Did I really sleep that long?

I frowned, thinking maybe I hit my head while I slept. Then I remembered: Rosalie is going to show up soon. I was stranded in my house with her and my mother until nine. The thunder cracked again. What was I thinking?? This is my house, I can do whatever I want. I wasn't going to stay inside cause some girl was coming over. I nodded to myself and pulled my t shirt back on.

_Act casual, Ed. _I told myself.

I trudged downstairs towards the kitchen, my stomach growling in approval. Grabbing myself a pan and some eggs, I decided to make eggs Benedict. I chopped peppers, diced onions and whisked eggs like I was goddamn Emeril.

I was pretty proud of the end result. A little dry, but good nonetheless. I chewed silently, wondering if my neighbor, Eric Yorkie, remembered to feed Balthazar. Then again, poor kid seemed like he was afraid of his own shadow. My dog's no fucking pug. The clock ticked slowly, pissing me off with how irritating it was. Yet I still checked the time. Four oh six. She was late. Rosalie was never late. Something tugged at the back of my mind. Something wasn't right.

I ignored the bad feeling; I got up to wash my plate. I went upstairs to take a long hot shower. The scorching water helped me relax, even if only slightly. Afterwards, I fell asleep. I didn't know how long I was out.

_Rosalie laid next to me, smiling sweetly. I smiled back at her, reaching out to stroke her cheek_. _She sighed quietly, falling asleep. She was so beautiful when she slept.._

An urgent knock from downstairs startled me awake. I grumbled to myself as I walked downstairs, checking my phone. It's nine fourty-four.

More urgent knocking came from outside.

"I'm going.." I called out.

_Impatient little.._

I reached the door and gripped the cold door knob, thinking to myself. I hesitated a little bit more, then turned the knob and opened the door.

* * *

**Oh no!!! A Chris Weitz style cliffhanger!!! xD**

**Who dares bother Edward's nap??? **

**Reviews help the door open faster.**


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